A brother's responsibility
by Birdboy
Summary: Taichi would be much better in my place, and besides the time when we were in the digital world, I hardly even see him… But… he's still my brother.


(Written as a request-fic for Sakuryo, who I must thank for giving me the idea.)

_Taichi would be much better in my place, and besides the time when we were in the digital world, I hardly even see him… But… he's still my brother._

"Get up, Yama."

The golden-haired boy rubbed his eyes, sitting up slowly in his bed, the chosen child's still-awakening mind confused by his father's statement.

"Just get up and get going… You don't want to keep your brother waiting, do you?"

The boy yawned, memories coming back to him... He hadn't been with Takeru _nearly_ enough, given his family's situation… Sure, the divorce was on amicable enough terms, but he had barely even seen his brother since they left the digital world, he simply hadn't been anything near a good brother as of late, what with wandering off to feel bad about Taichi or drown in dark caves and whatnot.

So the least he could do was to be there for him, even on a silly visit like this.

"Okay." Nodding obediently, he pushed himself to his feet, a hand tiredly covering one of his blue eyes, slightly wanting to see his comrade, his brother, his Takeru once again.

* * *

"Where is he?"

Natsuko opened her mouth sadly in response, the boy's mother was of course just a bit dismayed, she had hardly wanted Yamato's reaction to be so apathetic to her, even though there were parts of her that felt it deserved, and others that realized the boy's concern.

"A rip… A portal, was that what he said? I tried to get some info for an article on it myself, but the manuscript kept disappearing every time I saved it…" She seemed puzzled by this, almost wondering if there was some sort of curse.

At this, Yamato shrugged, the fact that his dark realism had not yet clouded Takeru's mind did not exactly fill him with his brother's hope.

Admittedly, that weird girl, Taichi's sister, Hikari, was it? She was so certain they'd meet again…

The thin-necked bishounen sighed. Even if that was the case, there'd probably be no way out, the digital world might not even be safe for humans now…

He missed him. Even if Takeru would be with Patamon forever, he'd still miss him… Besides, if nothing else, he could be therefor his sake, maybe even make up for his constant, shameful failing and protect the younger chosen this one time…

"So where is this portal?"

"Hikarigaoka station. Get going."

After all, this was his brother.

* * *

Yamato hurried off the train, trying to rush, but finding it impossible within the mass of people, taking out his now-neglected digivice as he "ran."

If it beeped, or showed something on that little screen… Pushing his way through the crowd, he looked at it, hoping the object would let him find the rip Takeru looked for; nothing else really would.

And… he had to find him.

Sure, he trusted Patamon. Passing out in the snow aside, he had a good deal of faith in the brown rodent to protect his younger brother; enough that he felt himself capable of even _leaving_ Takeru while he left to find himself. Enough that he pressured Takeru to look for the digimon (Though he could not even let him evolve) going with him, trying to be the voice of reason…

But Angemon was gone now. Not dead, just gone, held up within a different world… Had Takeru forgotten just how weak the chosen were here? It wasn't like they'd have digital protectors, and if some hungry, ungrateful Tyrannomon crossed the gate…

If his digimon was gone, dammit, Takeru would still have his brother.

* * *

"Takeru-kun, we're not in the digital world anymore, but that doesn't mean its safe."

The golden-haired child of hope sighed. "Yeah… But niisan, I saw the rip here, so I had to come."

Yamato crouched down to the boy's height, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I know…"

Contrary to expectations, it was the normally-frigid older one who let a tear drop first, as Takeru maturely tried to comfort him. "Niisan, Gabumon's not gone… You'll see him again, don't worry -- Hikari-chan wouldn't have said it if she didn't believe it."

The two glanced together at the rip in the sky for a while, even though in the back of his mind, Yamato wouldn't have been surprised if Gennai himself would threaten them; he had seemed obsessed enough with keeping the worlds separate. _But we helped him, he wouldn't do that, right?_

Takeru curled his fingers around his brother's hand comfortingly, worried, but with eyes still watching the unapproachable gate, as a flash of buzzing red moved towards the portal, a pincer spurting out.

"Takeru, stand back!"

* * *

The Kuwagamon burst through the gap between worlds, Yamato standing defiantly in front of the younger chosen, looking for _something_ that would be an effective weapon.

A stick caught his eye… He could run, dive, a good throw might actually do it. But Takeru just wasn't fast enough to stay with him, and if he was left exposed to the hungry beetle's jaws -- the cave of darkness would look like nothing; his angst would spurt back full-formed and overwhelm him forever.

A pincer's slash, buzzing by, him moving his back and pushing Takeru to protect him still… Luckily, it ripped that green shirt he had worn for a couple fateful days in August; barely cutting his skin, but there was a bit of bleeding and a good bit of pain.

It was okay. If Takeru would survive… Well, that's just what brothers do, right?

"Run for it!"

"Stop it, Niisan! You're not Leomon or anything, just save yourself!

He noticed a fountain of tears on his back, realized all too well that he had made Takeru cry… Had he failed?

At that moment, from a portal in the sky, a wooden staff flew expertly towards the Kuwagamon, a black gear flew out and dissipated, and Takeru finally glanced out from behind Yamato's back.

And through the portal, he saw the blurry outline some very familiar wings… The boy noticed a shed feather on the staff, placing it in his pocket; he'd need the memento.

"Angemon!"

Yamato sighed; in the "digital age" of sorts, Takeru would have his own protector.

"Takeru… It'll be years before I can go through this portal again, but if you want me to…"

"You'll come back to me, right?" The shota-bait boy answered, tossing the rod back through the gate.

"Yeah. Yamato, protect him until then."

"_In truth, I was the one who needed him…"_

The bearer of friendship nodded, even if he would never measure up to Taichi, let alone Angemon.

After all, this was his brother.


End file.
